Now and Forever
by Dance in the Moonlight
Summary: Lock, Shock and Barrel have always been cohorts, companions, friends. But times are changing, and the trio are growing up. Can they withstand the romances, fights and misadventures to remain "birds of a feather, now and forever"? LockxShock, BarrelxOC R
1. Shock's Nightmare

**A/N: Mkay, first fic here!! Okay, just so everyone's aware, Chapter One takes place a few months after the movie. Chapter Two and all the rest are set much later. Okay, so enjoy!**

Chapter One: The Nightmare.

Nobody is fearless.

Even the most hardened, cynical people are afraid sometimes.

In Barrel's case, it was when the candy supply ran out.

In Lock's, it was when harmless fun turned hazardous.

For Shock, it was nightmares.

The little witch girl tip-toed along the dark, dusty hallways of the tree house the trio resided in.

It had been a bad one this time. She had dreamt that she had been wandering aimlessly through a dense fog, so thick she had to squint to see more than a foot in front of her face. She was searching for something, something hidden, but she didn't know what.

Every so often murky shapes could be seen, moving towards her. Or was it moving away from her? She really couldn't tell. On one occasion, one of the said creatures came close, so close it must have been inches away. And it began to drift away once more.

"Come back!!" Shock had cried. She was confused and frightened. She didn't know whether the obscure shape was a friend or a foe, but all the same, she began to stumble after it through the mist.

"Stop! Wait, please wait!" To Shock's surprise, the being obeyed.

Shock staggered clumsily onwards until she was close enough to peer into its face.

And suddenly the haze was gone, and all was dark, sinister and icy cold.

Oogie Boogie leaned down to leer at her under the brim of her witches' hat.

"Think you're safe now that I'm gone, huh?" he sneered. "Think you and your little friends are safe, Witchy?"

Shock couldn't breath. She felt as though her heart was trapped in an icy vice.

"Well, you know what?" Boogie's grin widened. _"You'll never be safe from me."_

Shock had woken, drenched in cold sweat, her heart aflutter. She had left her bedroom, dragging a scruffy vampire doll in her wake.

Slowly, gently, she pushed open the door of the room Lock and Barrel shared. The trio had shared this room up until a few months ago, and it still bore signs of Shock's presence. A spell book here, a hair ribbon there. What stood out most, however, was the triple bunk-bed the boys were currently slumbering in.

Shock smiled weakly to herself as she remembered when they first argued over who slept where on it.

She herself had suggested Barrel took the top bunk, considering he barely ever got first choice in anything. Barrel had been immensely pleased, not to mention surprised at Shock's uncommon display of kindness.

Lock had grudgingly agreed, on the grounds that he could have the middle bunk. Shock had been in an unusually placid mood that day, and was perfectly happy with the ground bunk. These arrangements had stood after Shock had taken her own room down the hall.

Shock peeked into the darkness, straining to see the boys above. She could just make out Barrel's round, pale face, his eyes closed and mouth slightly open. Below him, Lock was almost entirely invisible beneath the charcoal-grey blankets. Only his red devil's tail could be seen, hanging over the bed frame, swaying slightly every few minutes.

Shock silently crossed the large bedroom and clambered into the ground bunk, carrying her doll with her. And so was Shock's custom after a night of nightmares.

"Lock?" she whispered in a tiny voice. "Lock, are you awake?"

Silence.

"Barrel?"

In response, Barrel snored like a foghorn.

Shock didn't mind that they were asleep. She was content to let her friends' gentle, rhythmic breathing relax her, carrying her thoughts away from that of foggy plains and Oogie Boogie to the blissful peace of a dreamless slumber.


	2. Like the Leaves of a Tree in October

Chapter Two: Like the Leaves of a Tree in October.

"Give it to me!" Shock screamed, launching herself across the shabby little living room to where Lock stood smugly, her lavender hat held aloft mischievously.

Gone were the days where Shock had to look down to speak to her cohorts. She and Barrel were now a similar height, whereas Lock had a good few inches on her.

Lock stepped lightly out of her path of destruction, causing her to hurtle into the unlit fireplace.

She emerged moments later, caked in ash, with cinders clinging to her wiry, pale green hair.

Eight years had passed since the infamous "Oogie Incident".

And what a eight years it had been.

Shock had finally grown into her once beak-like nose. Her skin was as white as the snow in Christmas Town, and her hair was pulled back into a pony-tail. Of course, she had out grown the lavender witch's dress she had worn all that time ago. She now wore a dress in a similar colour that reached halfway down her shin. A black silk sash was tied around her slim waist, and high, black boots covered her feet.

Shock charged at Lock like a bull. He held the hat a little higher, but she had other ideas. Furious, she threw her foot down as hard as she could on his tail.

"Argh! You little- Ow! Ow! Get—"

With a triumphant shriek of laughter, Shock knocked her hat from his hand.

He scowled.

Lock too, had changed dramatically.

His build was tall and thin, but strong, like a rapier blade. His fiery red hair still stood up in an imitation of devil horns. He also, had grown out of his trick-or-treater gear. He now sported simple black trousers and a dark red shirt, along with a bright red cape occasionally thrown over his shoulders.

Lock threw himself nonchalantly over the battered couch, casually pulling a spider from beneath him and flicking it out of sight.

"I'm bored."

Shock sneered, still brimming with delight from her victory. "Sore loser." She giggled.

"Bite me." he snapped.

"Yeah? Bend over and mark the spot."

"Could you two just _stop_? Like, just for a second? Don't you two _ever, ever_ get bored of fighting _all _day and _all_ night?" Barrel's voice travelled from upstairs.

"No!" Lock and Shock bellowed simultaneously.

They heard an exaggerated sigh, and Barrel entered the room.

He was stockier than Lock, and no doubt stronger, but noticeably shorter.

His round face was pale, and dark green-blue hair stuck out from beneath his skull cap patterned with—you guessed it, skulls. His clothes were entirely black, though his sweatshirt had the shape of a ribcage and spinal cord sewn in.

Yes, the trio had changed like the leaves of a tree in October.

Shock placed her newly-won hat firmly on her head, glaring stubbornly at her cohorts, silently daring them to say anything to aggravate her.

Barrel's eyes flicked apprehensively from Lock to Shock, and back again.

Lock held Shock's gaze brazenly for a moment, and opened his mouth to provoke her in some way. At the last second, however, he (wisely) thought better of it, and closed it slowly.

Smiling haughtily, Shock perched in an armchair.


	3. Of Pranks and Political Leaders

**A/N: Okay, in this chapter the story really starts to take shape. Chapter One I just wrote on a whim, and Chapter Two was really just to outline how our favourite trio have changed. All TNBC characters belong to Tim Burton... unfortunately. **

**Okay, show time:)**

Chapter Three: Of Pranks and Political Leaders.

Shock folded the corners of a black and white checked blanket neatly over a wicker basket. She grinned to herself, admiring her handiwork.

"Are you done yet?" Barrel entered the cramped, grimy little kitchen.

"Mm-hmm." Shock linked the basket through the crook of her arm and the two left, after a brief tussle to walk through the door first.

Lock waited impatiently by the bird-cage like elevator. He fidgeted a little, his tail flicking this way and that.

Today's victim was to be the Mayor. He was their favourite: gullible, frustratingly cheerful, and with poor coordination concerning his movements.

Barrel and Shock joined him presently. He eyed the basket in Shock's arms.

"Did you use enough spider silk?"

"Yep."

"Are you sure? Because, you know, last time-"

Shock interrupted him with an exaggerated roll of her eyes. "I used enough spider silk, Lock."

And with that, the three cohorts stepped into the elevator. There was a rush of air, and it plummeted downwards.

A short time later, they arrived in the town square. It was almost deserted today. Two witches gossiped on the steps of the Town Hall, and a rotund manikin child played tag with a one-eyed mummy of a similar age some while off.

The grand fountain stood in the centre of the square, its slimy green liquid bubbling sluggishly.

The threesome sauntered up to the luxurious house that stood next to the Town Hall. Dead oak trees lined the wild garden. The vampire bats that slept in its branches shifted in their sleep as Lock, Shock and Barrel marched by.

Before knocking, Lock turned to the others.

"Remember," he warned. "Stick around until we get a reaction, but the _second_ we do, we take off like rats outta a pipeline, got it?"

"Got it." The other two chanted.

Lock gripped the steel dragon's head knocker and pounded three times.

The sound of bouncing footsteps reached their ears, and the door was suddenly thrown open.

"Hello, he—Oh. Its you three."

"Good morning, Mr. Mayor!" chirped Shock in as sweet a voice as she could manage.

The mayor's head swivelled, changing from his usual jovial one to a white, agitated visage.

"Mr. Mayor, sir," Barrel began in a convincing impression of innocence. "We felt just awful about what we did last week. You know, when we released five giant scorpions into your house?"

"Six giant scorpions." The mayor corrected wearily. He looked slightly nauseous.

"Five giant scorpions, six giant scorpions, you say tomato, I say tomahto." Lock retorted light-heartedly.

"_So,"_ continued Shock forcefully, "We wanted you to have these toffees from our stash," she indicated the basket "just to show you how really, truly sorry we are."

The mayor stared at the trio uneasily. His eyes jumped from the witch, to the skeleton, and finally to the grinning devil.

"Please, Mr. Mayor?" Barrel said thoughtfully. Being the youngest of the group, he could still pull off the whole "Oh, I'm just a sweet little child with perfectly innocent intentions" thing.

"Well, alright." The mayor took the basket from Shock's extended arm gingerly, as though expecting it to explode. But it didn't.

He peeled back a corner of the blanket that lay on top, observing the plump, golden toffees arranged carefully inside. His head spun, becoming cheery once more.

"Such nice kids Boogie's Boys are turning out to be," he said optimistically, and with a wave, he disappeared into his home once more.

Shock glowered fiercely at the closed door. "I'm a _girl_!!" she yelled, seething.

Lock, Shock and Barrel loitered around the iron gate of the mayor's garden, awaiting the telltale sign that their prank had been a success.

They didn't have to wait for long.

Without warning, a surprised holler sounded from within the house.

They scurried quickly in the direction of The Hinterlands, hooting with laughter.

If Shock had brewed the trick-toffees correctly, the mayor was now shrinking rapidly in size, his tongue stuck firmly to the roof of his mouth.


	4. Lost

**A/N: I don't own LS&B. I do own their souls, however. ;)**

**Enjoy!**

Chapter Four: Lost

"Face it, losers. We're lost." Shock growled, plopping herself down on a fallen log.

"Don't be such a pessimist," Barrel chided. "I'm almost sure we've been here before, and we never go too far in."

"Psht," was all he got in reply.

They had been wandering about aimlessly in the Hinterlands, hoping that they might recognise a rock or tree. After fleeing from their crime scene, they had darted into the woods, intent only on getting as far from the mayor as possible. They hadn't planned on going so far astray.

They had never been lost before.

It was sunset, and the whole forest was filled with a reddish light, dappled by the dense tree canopy above. The forest floor was thick with crunchy leaves, and the huge, gnarled trees seemed to sneer down at them maliciously.

Lock looked skywards, training his eyes on the fast sinking Jack o' Lantern sun through the branches.

It would be dark before long, and he planned to be home before then.

"Okay, so the sun sets in the east and rises in the west… or was that the other way around? And Halloween Town is… east? Argh!"

Shock observed his confused banter with a dark expression.

She had never been the type of girl to sit around and brood. Shock always preferred to be doing something, something practical. Like blow-torching the couch.

But she was in a most unhelpful mood, unfortunately.

Barrel, however, was not.

"I know!" he exclaimed suddenly, leaping up from his seat at the base of a particularly massive oak. "I'll climb it, and look for some sign of town!" He gestured excitedly at the vast tree above him.

Lock and Shock digested the idea, glancing at each other uncertainly.

"Yeah, I guess you could," said Lock at last. "But you'd want to look for smoke, not rooftops. The town could be miles away at this stage."

Barrel looked puzzled. "You mean smoke… as in smoke signals?"

Lock and Shock burst into hysterical laughter. Shocks sides hurt, despite her black mood.

"Smoke from the _chimneys_, you dupe!"

"Oh, right." Barrel gave an embarrassed little chuckle.

And so, a little clumsily at first, Barrel began to climb.

Lock and Shock settled side by side on the log, craning their necks to watch his progress.

Tiny goose-bumps formed on Shock's arms, and she shuffled, folding them tightly across her chest. The sun was setting fast, allowing a cold breeze to rush through the forest.

Lock noticed, and, avoiding eye contact at all costs, shrugged of his red cape and held it out to the witch.

"What's that for?" asked Shock, a small hint of pride in her voice.

"I, uh, well, I just thought you might be, uh…cold," he finished somewhat lamely.

Shock bit back her pride. "Thanks," she said quietly, draping it around her shoulders.

Lock continued to focus firmly on the ground.

Barrel was nearing the top of the oak now. He had disappeared completely into the red, gold, orange, yellow, and brown leaves. Every so often one or two would spiral to the ground as he pulled himself unsteadily from branch to branch.

"I'm almost there," he called down. It was obvious from the tone of his voice that he was reassuring himself as well as informing Lock and Shock. "Nearly at the to—"

Without warning, Barrel gave a distressed yell.

Shock and Lock leapt to their feet, wide-eyed, as they saw their friend tumble helplessly through the knotted, crooked branches, colliding with them roughly.

Barrel landed with a small thud at the base of the tree.

"Barrel!" a small, strangled cry escaped Shock's throat, bringing her to her senses.

She and Lock stumbled clumsily to his side, stirring the dead leaves and their feet.

"Barrel…" she gripped his wrist, looking for a pulse.

"Come on, get up! Sit up! Barrel, this isn't funny!"

"Lock, I've got a pulse. Look in his pocket, show me what's in there…"

Lock turned Barrel on his side, and dug his hand into his pocket.

"Ew," Lock brought out a sticky, half-eaten lollypop. Shock snatched it from his hand and waved it back and forth beneath Barrel's button nose.

Barrel's eyes snapped open. His friends exhaled in unison.

"Thought we'd lost you there, beetle-brains."

"What do you think you're doing, jumping out of the biggest tree in the frickin' forest?"

"I didn't…I didn't jump," Barrel croaked, his normally white face tinged with grey. "I- I fell… Something's up there."

And the trio looked up, their eyes meeting the huge, amber ones staring unblinkingly down at them.

**A/N: Reveiws, anyone? Feel free to tell me what you think! So you see that pretty blue button that says "Reveiw"? Press it:)**


	5. Hesper

Chapter Five: Hesper

The amber-eyed creature leapt lightly from the thick branch on which it perched, and landed on its two legs, graceful, before them.

It stared at them, its thick, chocolate brown tail swishing from side to side behind it peacefully.

Shock gaped at it incredulously. It seemed to be some bizarre mix between bat, cat and, just maybe, girl?

Its-her- body was completely human shaped, despite the tail. She was entirely covered in sleek, shiny brown fur; with cream flecks on her shoulders and cheeks- they resembled freckles, somewhat.

Unkempt mahogany brown hair fell just past her chin, framing her bright amber eyes and small black nose. Large brown cat ears protruded out of her hair, and great, leathery bat-wings we folded behind her back. A piece of white cotton covered her torso like a toga, with holes for her wings.

"Who are you? What is your purpose here?" she spoke softly, unfurling her wings impressively.

Shock blinked. It talked?

Shock assumed a fighting stance. "Leave us alone," she snapped fiercely. "We're just passing through, and that's no reason for you to go pushing people out of trees!"

The creature's large, clear eyes widened a fraction more. She addressed Barrel, who was still lying on the ground, scared stiff and injured.

"I did not push you from this tree- my tree. You saw me and became shocked, isn't that right? I never intended to injure you," she was clearly troubled at being accused of hurting someone.

Shaking violently, Barrel nodded.

"_You're_ tree? How can it be you're tree?" Lock was visibly less shaken than the other two, and was observing this creature with an air of interest.

"Well- it's my nest, I sleep in it every day. And your friend here woke me up. But I suppose there's not much sense in going back to sleep now…" she stated thoughtfully, watching the last ray of sunlight disappear from view.

"You sleep… during the day?"

"Yes."

"What are you?" snapped Shock rudely. She was tired of Lock's irrelevant questions.

"My name is Hesper…" replied the creature uncertainly.

"Well, yeah, fine. But _what _are you?"

"We-we never really had a name. I'm the last one of my kind."

Barrel propped himself up onto his elbows. "What happened?"

"When I was young… perhaps only fives years, maybe less, a stranger came to these woods. Like a sack he was, with gaping holes for eyes and mouth alike. My mother, she hid me in a hollow tree. And when I came out… gone. They were all gone. My family."

Shock and Lock shot each other a covert look.

A sack, with holes for its eyes and mouth? This girl's family disappeared in its presence?

They realized what must have happened, but remained silent.

_So this girl…Hesper. That would make her… thirteen? Barrel's age,_ Shock thought.

Hesper blinked away the shimmering tears that had formed in her eyes.

"You're lost, aren't you?" she said.

"Yep." Lock nodded.

Shock gave him a look.

"Well…yeah," she said eventually.

"I know this forest well. If you are looking for a small town where a skeletal fellow reigns supreme, I can lead you there. It's about a three hour hike. "

And so, in the darkened forest, the four children began to walk.

Hesper, they soon discovered, quite a likable person-cat-bat-creature.

She joined in happily with the flow of conversation, and frequently stopped to sniff the air. She treated Barrel's worst cuts and scratches with the juice of a root she found in the shade of a birch tree.

Barrel had shuffled his feet, looking tongue-tied, but it seemed to numb the pain considerably. Luckily he had only attained flesh wounds.

After a while of walking, Hesper turned to Shock.

"So what's your story? You know mine now, so I think it's only fair if you tell."

Shock looked at her in the dark, and tugged Lock's cape a little more firmly around her neck to keep out the chill. She spoke carefully.

"The three of us…we were recruited by the wrong type of people, I guess. But that's history. We live together now, and I think it's safe to say we're still not the best of chums with the "right" type of people,"

Lock and Barrel sniggered. Barrel gave a peculiar cough that sounded much like the word _"Understatement!!"_

Finally, exhausted and famished, they reached the edge of the Hinterlands. The town square stood a little way off, bathed in silvery moonlight. Not a soul was to be seen, and it must have been well past midnight.

"It's been so long since I've last been here." Hesper mused to herself, her tail flicking from side to side.

"You should come visit us some time," Barrel volunteered bravely.

Hesper smiled at him. "Perhaps one day."

She turned to the three of them at large.

"Lock, Shock and Barrel, it's been a pleasure meeting you. If you ever need me, you know what to do."

The trio looked at her, puzzled.

"Just get lost in the Hinterlands again!" she grinned.

And with that, she spread her leathery wings and beat them until she was in the air, gliding in the direction of the forest.

Lock, Shock and Barrel dashed purposely through the hills until they reach the little bridge and the birdcage elevator that led into their tree house.

Once inside, Barrel hoped out of the elevator first.

He scurried of in the direction of the kitchen and their candy stash, not before hastily lighting up the hallway fireplace.

Lock and Shock stood there for a moment, holding their hands as close as they dared to the flames. Shock noticed an odd look cross her friend's face.

Gradually he moved closer, a little smile spreading on face, leaning in a little.

Shock realized what he meant.

_He wants his cape back,_ she thought.

She pulled of his scarlet cape and handed it back to him.

His eyes moved from hers down to the fabric in his hand.

They were a mix of emotion in the firelight: hurt, embarrassment, confusion.

But Shock saw none of this; Lock bolted as though he had been burned, and silently followed Barrel into the kitchen.

Shock had the feeling that she had just misinterpreted something, but what… she just didn't know.

**A/N: for all those perceptive readers out there, yes, you are on to something! Poor Lock:(**

**Oh cruel fate, why does Shock have to be so dang oblivious?**

**I don't own TNBC……… YET!! MWAHAHAHA!! ****However, I do own Hesper, so if you want to review and tell me if you like/hate her, feel free!**


	6. The Rat Tale

Chapter Six: The Rat Tale.

Shock awoke in her little grey bed four days later.

She lay there for a while, pondering Lock's recent odd behaviour. He hadn't been acting normally since that night they returned from the Hinterlands.

Anytime Shock would enter a room in which Lock was, he would immediately turn bright red and make an excuse to leave. Other than that, however, Lock seemed to be avoiding talking to her, and having anything to do with her at all.

Shock was mystified, but she was presuming (and hoping) that Lock was just going through a phase and would come around sooner or later.

Because of this, Shock was too tense to bug him into an argument. Fighting and screaming was the norm for the two of them, and now… the silence was tearing her apart.

After a while she heaved herself out of bed and got dressed. She traipsed down a crooked set of stairs, finding herself in the living room. Distantly she could here someone clanking around in the armoury.

Picking up a potion book, Concoctions and Brews for the Bored and Curious, she curled up in a moth-eaten armchair and began to read.

She was just skimming a particularly interesting mixture (An infusion to enforce every word spoken by the drinker to be a bark, meow or quack.) when Barrel came thundering into the room.

In his hands he gripped a battle axe and a mace.

Shock barely glanced up. "For the last time, Barrel, there's nothing under your bed. And anyway, Lock's below you, so even if there was—"

She stopped. Talking about Lock brought a dull feeling to her chest.

"This isn't for anything under my bed, Shock. You convinced me of that years ago. We've got a rat problem."

"Barrel, we've always had mice."

"Not mice, a rat! Shock, it's as big as a badger!"

Suddenly there was a heavy rustling, scampering sort of sound from the hallway.

Barrel pulled his mask down over his face and leapt through the door with a battle-cry.

Shock followed him out of mild interest.

She found Barrel already locked in combat with the biggest rat she had ever seen.

It was colossal and white, with jagged yellow teeth and beady pink eyes.

Barrel slashed at it wildly, forcing it to back into a corner.

The rat snarled, drawing its upper lip back over its curved fangs.

"Shock!" Barrel screamed without looking at her. "Help me, do something!"

Shock threw down her book and raced to the armoury. Halfway up the stairs, she collided with a bleary-eyed Lock. He had clearly just woken.

"Uh, sorry, there's a- a rat, I gotta get a cage or something, I dunno…"

Afraid to look him in the eye, she dashed onwards.

Moments later she pounded down the twisted staircase once more, this time dragging a heavy steel cage.

With much shrieking, clanging of metal, and swearing, the monstrous rat was finally forced into the cage. It lashed its tail murderously, glaring up at them.

"This thing would be perfect to…ah, "liberate" into the mayors house," Shock quipped wickedly.

Lock and Barrel cackled.

And then, just for a moment, things felt completely normal again. But as quick as it came, it was gone once more.

Lock fumbled with his tail awkwardly. "I'm… going to go for a walk," he mumbled, his ears bright red, clashing voiletly with his hair. And he walked off towards the elevator.

"What's with him?" Barrel asked cautiously once Lock was out of earshot. Clearly Barrel was only noting his abnormal behaviour now.

"I…don't know."

Suddenly, the loud, clear chime of the doorbell echoed through the dusty hallway. The doorbell sounded whenever someone was entering through the elevator, which Lock had only moments before ridden out of sight.

Sure enough, the cable began to move and within moments, Lock was back.

But he was not alone.

Crouching uncomfortably in the birdcage next to the devil was none other than the Pumpkin King of Halloween Town.

Lock hurried out of the elevator and hastily looked at the others. He looked worried.

"Jack wants to talk to us," he stated hesitantly.

Jack climb out after Lock, straightening out his spindly, spider-like limbs.

"I need to ask you three some questions," he said coolly. "And if you please, I'd be much obliged if I received _honest_ answers in return."

Shock and Barrel gulped simultaneously.

**A/N: **

**All TNBC characters belong to Tim Burton, and all that jazz.**

**Also, a big shout out to my first ever reviewer, "SHOW ME THE LURV". In reply to your review: Yeah, you wouldn't be wrong in saying Barrel's a little smitten…:) **** Thanks so much for reviewing!**


	7. What Jack Said

Chapter Seven: What Jack Said

Jack was seated at the table in the tiny kitchen, a stern look on his skeletal face.

Shock sat cross-legged on the grimy countertop, twisting her witch's hat agitatedly in her hands.

Jack had never particularly disliked the trio. Not that he wasn't as aggravated as the rest of the town with their never-ending sea of pranks, but he had a more light-hearted kids-will-be-kids approach.

And so, having Jack act so severely towards them put them immediately on edge.

Lock leaned back in his chair, feigning indifference. Standing in the doorway, Barrel shot him a quizzical look, nodding towards Jack's back. Lock shrugged.

"Jack," Shock broke the wall of silence that had flooded the kitchen. "If this is about the mayor, the toffees were brewed to wear off after an hour! It was just a little joke, that's all!"

"Luckily for you, Shock, that's not why I am here." Jack said slowly.

"It's not?" Barrel and Lock asked, taken aback.

"No," Jack ran a bony, long fingered hand over the back of his skull. "Several days ago, four… shady characters were spotted buying liberal amount of fabric," he began. "They were then seen heading towards the Hinterlands at quite a pace."

Lock, Shock and Barrel listened, clueless as to how this might concern them.

"Before they departed, however, several townsfolk caught some quite disturbing snippets of their discussion. Said townsfolk were concerned, and came to me with the information."

Jack looked at each of them in turn, giving them a long, calculating stare.

"Would you three happen to know what these four individuals were talking about?"

"Nope. But by the sound of what you just said, you do." Shock was interested now.

Jack looked at her for a moment, before continuing. "Snippets, as I said. The four strangers were speaking of _Oogie Boogie._"

The trio listened in stunned silence. Barrel shivered in the doorway.

"I have reason to believe that you three are involved in some way. You are his ex-henchmen, after all."

"I prefer the term "hench-people"" Shock corrected.

Jack ignored her.

"You three were spotted running into the Hinterlands several days ago, and were not seen until the next day. Tell me, how am I to know for certain that the three of you aren't allied with the other four? How am I to know that you're not planning to resurrect Boogie? It wouldn't be the first time."

_It wouldn't be the first time._

The last sentence stung Shock particularly.

Lock spoke. "We've never met these four, Jack. You know as well as anyone that we don't do that kind of stuff anymore. We got lost in the Hinterlands, that's why we were there for so long."

But Jack didn't seem to hear. For the next half-hour he hounded them with questions.

"Why were you in the Hinterlands?"

"We were lost."

"How do you know the other four?"

"We don't!"

"How many of Boogie's bugs survived? I though they had all been destroyed."

"We don't know!"

Finally, Jack seemed to tire of questioning, though he still didn't seem overly convinced.

"You will be monitored closely within the next few days. You are forbidden to go near the Hinterlands. Understand?"

"Yeah, yeah."

Curt goodbyes were exchanged, and Jack left at a brisk pace towards Skellington Manor.

The trio sat on the living-room floor, discussing deeply what they had learned.

"You know, everybody would be in danger if Oogie came back," said Barrel slowly. "And while that seemed pretty cool all those years ago, now it seems a lot more… well, real."

"You know…" Shock mused, "We _could_ go find Hesper. It'd be worth a shot. We could check if she's seen or heard anything. After all, the Hinterlands are her home."

"But Jack said…"

"I know."

"Shock, if we were caught, they'd think for sure that we're involved with this whole thing!"

"We're in troubled often enough anyway," Lock replied.

Shock looked at her friends steadily.

"We served him once. We resurrected him once. Maybe, just maybe, we can defeat him once."

Lock and Barrel gazed back solemnly.

"Three of a kind?" asked Shock softly.

"Birds of a feather," chimed in Barrel.

"Now and forever," completed Lock, his yellow eyes flicking up for a moment to meet Shock's deep violet ones, before looking away again.

**A/N: I don't own TNBC.**

**Chapter 6 Review replies:**

**Spiral Faere: Thanks, I'm glad you like it! And I can promise more of Hesper in future chapters:)**

**SHOW ME THE LURV: Thanks for the second review!**


	8. Dog Biscuits and a Bathtub

Chapter Eight: Dog Biscuits and a Bathtub.

"Remind me again," Barrel said as they strolled briskly through the streets of Halloween Town, weaving in and out of the bustling crowds. "How're we supposed to recognise the person Jack's got tailing us? I mean, it could be anyone."

He gestured haphazardly towards one of the vampire brothers. The vampire gave Barrel a funny look.

"Vat is you're problem?"

"Easy," Shock said. "We go to loads of different spots around town, right? Then we take note of the people there. And the one person who's there every time is Jack's spy."

And so, that's what they did. They went everywhere: Spiral Hill, the Town Hall, the graveyard, every little side ally in town, each time carefully checking who was around.

Finally, at the gates of the pumpkin patch, Shock narrowed it down to one person: Igor, Dr. Finklestein's assistant.

The moment she realized it, Shock nearly laughed out loud. "How could Jack be so _dumb_?" she asked out loud. Barrel and Lock merely shrugged.

Igor stood by a nearby tree, gawking at them in a very obvious manner. The little mutant man had a hunchback.

"Hey, Igor!" Lock called out to him.

Caught by surprise, Igor shuffled behind the tree.

"Igor, come on out," Shock coaxed. "We've got something for you!"

"We do?" Barrel whispered, perplexed.

"Both of you look for something to entertain him. _Anything!_" Shock muttered out of the corner of her mouth.

Barrel immediately delved into his pockets as Lock began to scour the ground.

After a moment, Barrel pulled something out of his pocket: a dog biscuit.

_Perfect!_

Shock snatched it from his hand and waved it over her head. "Igor, we've got a nice little treat for you!"

The little mutant man came running eagerly.

Shock threw the bone-shaped treat and he caught it in his mouth, chewing noisily.

"Good boy," Lock praised. "Now, do you know who has lots more treats for you?"

Igor shook his head.

"Ja—err…"

Lock thought furiously. They couldn't send Igor back to Jack, who would take the hint and know they'd run off to the Hinterlands.

"Tearaway the Clown!" Barrel said suddenly.

Igor gave an excited yap and took off at once.

"Dude, I'm not even going to ask where you got that dog treat…" Lock retorted.

Later at the tree house, the trio were loading necessary provisions into the mechanical bathtub. Plunger, broom, an assortment of other weapons, a bucketful of candy, blankets, and a spell book.

Lock jumped in lightly, followed by Shock. The two of them pulled Barrel in, each taking an arm.

_Okay,_ thought Shock as the tub sprang into action, lumbering across the little bridge towards the forest._ Here goes nothing._

She leaned back a little, quite at ease. More at ease that she had been in a long while. Breaking the rules was fun.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

For two hours they plodded without direction in the seemingly never-ending woodland. In those two hours equally endless doubts whirred around in Shock's head.

_Where's Hesper?_

_Will we find her?_

_Can she tell us anything?_

_Who are these four people?_

_Are they even planning on resurrecting Boogie?_

All the information they had to go on was scraps of conversation townspeople claimed to have heard.

"Hesp-"Barrel began to call out. Shock clapped her hand over his mouth.

"_Don't_ call out," she hissed. "The four people Jack talked about could be out here, like he said! And they don't sound exactly like the kind of people we want to be best pals with, do they?"

Barrel nodded, wide eyed.

She released him.

"But…we can't just go looking for Hesper, we don't know where she is!" he said.

"That's true," Lock added "We were lost."

"Then we wait for her to find us."

"I'm way ahead of you," a new voice chimed in.

The trio looked up. Crouching on a branch high above them, Hesper grinned.

"I'd have heard you guys a million miles away with earmuffs on," she continued."You guys were making an awful racket in that thing." Hesper nodded towards the bathtub.

"Enough of this. Sorry Hesper, but we didn't really come to chat." Lock interrupted.

Hesper tweaked an ear thoughtfully, but listened.

"Well, we've heard talk about… strange happenings out here in the Hinterlands,"began Shock.

She knew at some point it was going to slip out that they knew and had worked for Oogie Boogie, but she couldn't bring herself to tell this girl that she had served the creature that had taken her family's lives. "We thought you might have seen or heard something?"

Hesper bit her lip, deep in thought.

"Well…no," she said finally. "No, I'm afraid not. I really wish I could be of more help," she added earnestly.

Lock, Shock and Barrel were taken aback. They had been almost sure Hesper would have information.

"Well, that's just _great_," snapped Lock sarcastically. Not for the first time, his feelings were getting the best of him.

"Hey!" barked Barrel. "Don't take it out on Hesper! She's been nothing but kind to us since we met her, there's no reason for you to jump down her throat just because she doesn't know something!"

Lock rounded on him. "Talk about jumping down people's throats, eh?"

Shock was astounded. Not only had Barrel just started a fight, which only happened once in a blue moon, but she hadn't seen Lock so animated for days. Things still weren't entirely normal between them. He still avoided eye contact with her as much as possible and spoke to her only if necessary.

"_Stop!_" she yelled. Their bickering ceased at once. "We're on the tail of something big here, something dangerous. And we don't need you too morons squabbling!"

"Sorry, Hesper," muttered Lock, tugging at his hair awkwardly.

Hesper, who had stood there through the quarrel uncomfortably, accepted his apology with an understanding smile.

Exasperated, Shock plonked herself onto the ground.

There was a loud, hollow thump.

Moving over, she brushed away the leaves from the patch of ground on which she had been seated. The others watched, shocked and silent.

Beneath her, a thick, wooden trap-door was set neatly into the earth.

**A/N: Ooh! Drama drama drama! Next instalment coming soon……**


	9. Through the Trapdoor

Chapter Nine: Through the Trap-door.

"Shock, this is it! It has to be!" Barrel stared at the trap-door as though it might spring to life any second. "Shock, you don't think…you don't think _he's_ down there, do you?"

Shock shook her head "I just don't know."

"Who?"

Shock looked over her shoulder to see Hesper looked back intently. It wasn't a suspicious look, more one of great curiosity.

And suddenly Barrel blurted out everything. _Everything._

Namely the fact that they had served the "sack creature", and were now trying to stop him returning.

Hesper stared at him for a moment, apparently stuck between disbelief and shock.

Then she nodded, shaking slightly. "Okay…okay. It's okay. I trust you, all of you. And we'll do this together, yes?"

The other tree nodded solemnly.

And Shock threw open the little wooden door, gripping its rusted steel handle.

Something swift and blue came shooting out of the darkness below, tackling Shock roughly to the ground.

"Fancy that," a mocking voice cried. "Just as we were leaving to go on watch! Sabin, Septima!"

Two billowing black shapes jumped out of the door, and Shock heard Lock and Barrel grunt as they too were knocked to the ground.

Her own captor sat on Shock's back, pinning her down with surprising strength for one so weightless.

"Go Hesper!" Shock called, her face pressed into the damp earth. "Get out of here, fly!"

But Shock distantly heard a gasp as Hesper was grabbed by an unseen foe.

And suddenly there was a blinding pain at the back of her head, and the world went black.

When Shock woke, it took her a moment to register what had happened. She sat up, allowing her eyes to adjust to the dense darkness.

It appeared she was in some sort of dungeon. The cold stone floor was hard beneath her, and a faint smell of wet earth hung in the air.

Panicked, she felt her way through the blackness, eventually finding the unconscious forms of Barrel, Hesper, and lastly, Lock. The devil's yellow eyes were wide open, peering up at her.

He pressed a finger to his lips, and motioned for Shock to come closer.

"They came to check on us a few minutes ago," he breathed. "Hesper and Barrel are out stone cold."

"Who are they, Lock? Are they the four Jack mentioned?"

"I think so. From what I've gathered, there's a rag doll, two vampires and a… well, I can't say for sure what he is. Shock," he leaned in a fraction closer. "The last one, he looks like Hesper!"

All of a sudden, the dungeon door creaked open, bright torch light spilling in. Shock assured that her wiry hair hid her open eyes, and looked through it at their captors.

A tall vampire boy in his late teens peered into the cold room, his red eyes sweeping over their motionless forms.

Next to him stood a girl who could only have been his twin. Her long curtain of inky black hair was dotted with deep purple roses.

"Vat is it, Sabin?" she asked cautiously, holding the flickering torch a little higher.

He wore a long black cloak, she a black corset dress.

"Hush. I thought I heard something…"

"You _always_ think you hear something," a new cheeky female voice joined in.

Between the two of them appeared a rag doll of a similar age. She was entirely made of pieces of every type of material, held together with black stitches all over her body.

In the shimmering light Shock could see the rag doll's fabric skin and dress were composed of every shade of blue imaginable: turquoise, sky blue, royal blue, and sapphire, cerulean, cobalt… even her hair was the darkest navy-blue.

"Oh, hold your tongue for vonce, Paz!" the vampire girl snapped indignantly.

"You vill vake them, and that's not a good idea until _he _vants them."

"Lighten up, Septima." The rag doll named Paz retorted.

"Is…is Master still talking to Vebb?" Sabin the vampire was more in shadow than the two girls, but the tone of worry was obvious in his voice.

"Yeah, he is. And he's none too happy. If Webb would just stop _rebelling_, he'd be much better off." Paz replied.

"He told me…Oh Sabin! He told me he's been remembering things! He's been having _memories_…" Septima bust out wistfully.

Shock heard a surprised gasp of astonishment, and the heavy dungeon door swung closed, engulfing them in darkness once more.

She and Lock immediately sat up, wide eyed.

"Memories? Why wouldn't they have memories? I mean, one seemed to, but the others sounded so shocked…"

Lock simply shook his head. "It makes no sense… "Webb". I think he's the one that looks like Hesper, but he's taller. I saw him the first time they came to check on us."

Shock nodded numbly. It was all too much to take in. And their bathtub… Shock groaned, clapping a hand to her head. A fat load of use it was sitting outside, with their weapons, and her spell book too…

The more Shock thought about it, the bleaker their situation seemed. Captured by the enemy, unarmed, half of the group unconscious…

In the spur of the moment, she threw her arms around Lock and buried her face in his shoulder, sobbing.

Lock was stunned. Shock _never_ cried.

"Shock… Shock, come on… it's not as bad as it seems," he lied, hugging her tightly.

"Yes it is," she said softly, and despite her tears gave a weak laugh. "You always were the worst liar of the three of us, Lock."

"And you always were the most damn perceptive."

He looked at her for a moment, and then said quietly:

"You know the night we got back from the Hinterlands? And you gave me back my cloak?"

Dabbing her eyes on the back of her sleeve, Shock nodded. "Yeah?"

"Well I wasn't trying to take it back from you."

"Oh?"

"Yeah. Well, what I wanted to do was this."

He leaned in and kissed her gently.

It must have only lasted seconds, but for Shock, time froze. For all she knew, they could have been kissing for days, weeks, or eternity.

Suddenly a voice cut through the silence. They broke apart.

Just sitting up, Barrel rubbed the back of his head and said with a teasing smile "You know, you guys have had your whole lives to do that. But of course, just for the sake of being inconvenient, you _have _to kiss when we're locked in an underground cell, captured by the enemy. _Typical._"

There was a moment of silence, and the three of them burst into laughter.

**A/N: Yay for Lock and Shock! XD**

**Oh, and by the way, Sabin's name is pronounced "Say-bin".**

**Review replies:**

**PickleInACup: Might be a while before you get to read this, but I'm glad you like it!**

**SpiralFaere: Yes, Lock and Shock are meant to be! XD. And yes, I will continue! XD**

**SHOWMETHELURV: Glad you're enjoying it! Well, I'd answer you're question, but I think this chapter kind answer's it for me… Yep, they're OCs!**


	10. The Oogie Boogie Man

Chapter Ten: The Oogie Boogie Man.

Time passed in the impenetrable blackness of the cell. Lock and Barrel were deep in conversation about what they had learned about Oogie's four helpers. Hesper lay huddled in a corner. She had not yet stirred.

Shock sat with the two boys, barely registering what they were saying.

_Lock had kissed her._

And, somehow, it hadn't felt bizarre. It had felt like the most natural thing in the world.

She cursed herself for being so stupid. How could she have thought he had wanted the _cloak_ back that night? It was more and more obvious every time she replayed that scene in her mind.

Shock had never, ever felt about Lock _that_ way, until now. But perhaps it had been lurking at the back of her mind all along, waiting for its moment. Surprised as she was upon finally discovering his feelings for her, she was even more so to realize that she returned them. Surprised, that was, but ecstatically happy.

"You don't think the one who looks like Hesper-- Webb, was it? You don't think maybe he could be one of her family?" Barrel was saying.

"I'm not sure. But maybe—"

There was a creak, and the weighty cell door was pulled open. This time, however, there was no time to play dead. The rag doll and the two vampires stood in the doorway, looking at them closely.

"Sabin," said Paz "I can take the witch and skeleton if you can handle the devil?"

She spoke as if Shock, Lock and Barrel were inanimate objects.

"Alright." Sabin agreed.

Before being hauled to his feet by Sabin, Lock mouthed the words "Don't fight" to his friends. They understood instantly. There was no sense in wasting their strength struggling against these three when they still had to get to Oogie.

"The red-head speaks sense," Paz said, watching Lock as she chained Shock and Barrel's wrists together. "No point in fighting us. We'd just knock you flat anyway."

Shock held her silence, but scowled.

Septima stooped over Hesper. "This one looks like Webb," she commented. "Master has him under maximum control; I don't think Webb recognized what she was when he caught her."

_Maximum control? _thought Shock.

She turned Hesper's head to the side. "Still out cold."

Septima pulled a small vile from her pocket and uncorked it. Heavily fragrant steam wafted from the mouth. Shock gasped. "What is that? Get it away from her!"

To her right, Paz laughed softly. "So she speaks."

Septima pressed the vile to Hesper's lips, allowing a trickle to slide down her throat.

Suddenly Hesper was awake, spluttering and gasping for air.

Immediately Septima chained up her arms, heaving her to her unsteady feet. Hesper's amber eyes found Shock. "They're taking us to him?" was all she said.

Shock nodded.

In single file the four of them were guided out of the cell and along a long underground tunnel carved from the dirt. They passed by the rope ladder that lead up to the trap-door.

Only hours ago they had been safe above, but it seemed like years ago.

Shock noticed that Paz's large eyes had an odd cloudy look to them. Turning her head back to inspect Sabin and Septima, she noted that the same was true for them.

Finally the seven of them stopped outside a door that covered up the whole wall at the end of the tunnel. It was carved from the same wood as the trap-door, dark and sturdy.

Sabin pounded three times with a black metal knocker, and the door swung open.

The room was nothing at all like Boogie's old casino-imitation lair at the back of the trio's tree house.

It was huge and cavernous, with domed walls so that shadows filled every corner. It was packed full of torture instruments of every shape and size. A dart board was leaning against one wall, with a human-shaped bull's-eye. Near it was a table with devises to stretch limbs painfully. The walls were covered in clubs and knives, swords and shields.

And at the opposite side of the cavern stood Oogie Boogie. He looked almost exactly as Shock remembered him, despite the fact that his numerous stitches were now pulled tighter and neater.

His booming, taunting laugh filled the room.

"My, my, my. What have we here? Why if it isn't Lock, Shock and Barrel."

He seemed to be deliberately ignoring Hesper, and she wasn't complaining. She looked petrified.

"Of course, you're here a little late to assist in my resurrection, kids. I'm back and more powerful than ever, as you can see!" he added with a little flourish.

"However, better late than never, eh?"

Suddenly Shock's anger bubbled to the surface, shoving Paz away from her, she screamed "Never!"

Oogie's would-be-eyes narrowed.

"Stubborn as ever, huh Witchy? What's this? My three little heartless henchmen have become tiny turncoats, am I right? Perhaps Jack Skellington's employed you three?"

His voice was mocking, but Shock could detect cold venom beneath it.

Oogie turned to Paz, Septima and Sabin. "Put them in the wall. Webb is working in the armoury, if any of you would deign to join him."

Without warning, Paz and the vampires shoved Hesper, Barrel, Lock and Shock towards a seemingly blank wall. As soon as they collided with it, however, strong metal ropes sprang from the stone, binding their wrists and ankles.

"Now!" boomed Oogie once the other three had hurried out of sight. "Skellington has robbed me of my rightful place as ruler of Halloween Town. Tell me why he sent you, and I may spare your lives. I've been restored to full power my four _faithful _servants, so you three are of no use to me. I could take Halloween Town for my own this instant if I wanted."

"Jack didn't send us," spat Lock.

"Oh? Well, Red, perhaps your little friend disagrees."

Oogie reach out and grabbed Hesper's arm, wrenching her away from the wall.

"Well, fur-ball?"

Hesper stared at him fearfully, hatred radiating from her large amber eyes. She held her tongue.

Oogie looked at her thoughtfully.

"No? Nothing to say? Then maybe you could be a little memory trigger for your friends."

Dragging a struggling Hesper behind him, Oogie walked over to a large cage with a handle protruding from one side. Three of its walls we solid, while only the front one had bars. Oogie opened it and thrust her in. He closed and bolted the door.

"_NO!"_ Barrel cried, writhing furiously in his bonds. "Leave her out of this, leave her alone! Get away from her! Hesper!"

Looking mildly interested, Boogie moved away from the cage to look Barrel dead in the eye.

"You always were a spineless little wart, Bones," he hissed menacingly.

"We'll see how much backbone your little fur-face friend has, shall we?" he cackled. "We'll know when we hear it snap!!"

Ignoring Barrel's desperate protests and Lock and Shock's terrified stares, Oogie moved back towards the cage. He took hold of the handle that worked the mechanism and turned it several times. The top of the cage moved down a little.

"Now. We can do this the easy way, and you can work for me once more and help me conquer Skeleton Jack, or we can do it the hard way: you answer none of my questions and listen to your friend's bones crack one by one, and then I'll kill you."

Hesper peered up at them through the silver bars.

"Don't give in!" she called. "Don't worry about me; all I want is to see the creature that tore apart my family destroyed! You can do that!"

"Silence!" Oogie cranked the handle once more, bringing the cage further down on her. Hesper gave a little gasp of pain as the roof pressed down on the arch of her wing, and fell silent.

"And now the fun begins," guffawed Oogie.

"_We could lie, he'd let us down,"_ Lock whispered on Shock's left. _"He'll kill her, we have to lie!"_ And suddenly Shock's brain whirred into action.

**A/N: OMG, this story is just so much fun to write! **

**Review replies:**

**SHOWMETHELURV: I'm glad you approve of the LxS moment in Chapter Nine! I was deliberating whether or not to have them kiss at the end of the final chapter, but I thought the cell-kiss was more appropriate, somehow. Plus I got to give Barrel that little line at the end, so it's all good! XD**


	11. Combat

Chapter Eleven: Combat

"Okay! Okay, alright!" Shock allowed the fear she felt to show, all of it aiding her performance. "Just leave her alone, we'll tell you what Jack's up to…"

"No! Shock, we have to finish him!" Hesper's cry echoed in the cavern.

"No, no we won't! We'll never tell him!"

Shock started, baffled by Lock's words. And then, just out of the corner of her eye she saw it. He winked, barely more than a bat of his eyelid. But she understood.

It would look suspicious if they all gave in at once. They had to really act, use all of their tricking and prank skills.

It was really only a big prank anyway.

The idea soothed her, and she began to think more smoothly.

"Shock, how could you say that? We'll never serve you again, you bag of bugs! Never!" Lock shouted. 

Barrel caught on and pretended to take a side.

"No, Lock, Shock's right! He'll kill us and Hesper too…" his voice broke with emotion, and Shock could tell it was real.

Oogie folded his arms across his material chest, sneering. "And I always thought you were the headstrong one, Witchy. But you were always the smartest too, and now it shows."

"Shock, don't do this! Barrel!" Hesper pleaded, wrapping her furry fingers around the bars of the cage.

Oogie rotated the handle once more, and the cage ceiling crashed down on her. She gave a cry of agony.

"Hesper! Let her out, let her out!" Barrel yelled, fighting against his bonds.

"All in good time, Bones, all in good time." Oogie clicked his would-be fingers and Shock and Barrel fell to the floor, released.

It was now or never.

They immediately jumped into action, turning on their one-time master. Shock pulled a long, thin sword from its stand and threw a spear to Barrel. 

They turned to face Oogie, weapons held aloft.

He gave a bellow of fury at being outsmarted, and dragged a heavy axe from the wall behind him, lumbering heavily towards them.

"You haven't got a hope, kids," he hissed as he swung wildly at Shock, who dodged flippantly. "I'm too strong, and the town will be mine. Your cause is lost!"

Barrel broke away to free Lock, leaving Shock deep in combat.

"No cause is lost if there is anyone left to fight for it!" Shock spat. And fight she did. She slashed viciously, intent on destroying the monster, whose wrath on Halloween Town would mean the death of all those who she held dear.

Rubbing his newly freed wrists, Lock snatched another sword and with Barrel by his side, hurried to aid their friend. 

Shock handled the sword more skilfully than she herself had expected: she moved with superb balance and coordination, blocked with ease and parried blows with even less difficulty.

Oogie swung widely at her head, but his swipe simply knocked her purple hat to the floor. Lock was keeping him on his toes with short, blunt jabs of his blade; and this was keeping him from getting a clear aim.

Without warning, Barrel lunged with his harpoon-like spear, and it met its mark. 

It dug deep into the stitching of Oogie's shoulder, the black thread snaring on the tip. 

Oogie gave a bawl of rage as Barrel pulled the spear away, the fast-unravelling string coming with it. 

Lock grabbed a handful of Oogie's burlap-skin and tugged; the material came away in his hands as though he was drawing a pair of curtains.

And then the sea of insects that was Oogie Boogie fell to the floor. 

"We can't let them get away!" called Barrel over the rushing sound as the bugs skittered to the ground. "Shock, do something! A spell, anything!"

Wishing with all her might that she would succeed, Shock raised her arms and closed her eyes.

"_Friends of the sky, large and small,_

_A banquet awaits you here,_

_Pay heed to my call."_

In the distance, they heard the trap-door thud open, and within moments, the cave-like room was filled with not only luminous green creepy-crawlies, but inky-black feathers.

"Brilliant!" Lock called to Shock hoarsely over the cawing and deafening shrieks.

Shock had summoned the ravens of Halloween Town. The flock of sinister-looking birds, like a massive black cloud, were now dining on each and every Boogie-bug, ensuring that not a single one escaped. Their scraggly wings collided with them as they flew frantically around the cavernous room.

"Let's get out of here!"

Barrel hurried over to the torture-cage in which Hesper was barely conscious and unbolted it with fumbling hands. "Are you alright?"

"I think so," she replied shakily. "My wing is pretty beaten up and I think my wrist might be sprained, but other than that I'm fine." She looked Shock in the eye. "I knew in my heart of hearts you wouldn't give up. But really, I thought you'd given in there."

Shock smiled proudly.

The four hurried through the heavy door, dropping their weapons as they went.

Suddenly Lock stopped in his tracks and turned to Hesper. "Hesper, listen…"

He hastily told her about the fourth of Oogie's newest henchmen, and what he had seen.

Hesper blinked, her eyes wide. "Are… are you sure?" she asked in a tone of tense awe. Lock nodded. "Yeah, I'm pretty sure."

Without warning, Hesper stretched her wings and beat them once. She gave a yelp of pain as her injured wing moved. The other three started toward her to help, but she had already started to run on foot down the wide corridor. 

"Come on then!" she called over her shoulder as she rounded a bend.

The other three glanced at each other before sprinting after her. 

**A/N: Heya! I've been kind brain dead this week, so this chapter may not have been that good. But that's your choice! XD **

**I suck at fight scenes:P**

**Lock: hits Dance in the Moonlight with plunger "Yeah, you do."**

**Dance in the Moonlight: rubs head "Ow, dude."**

**Review replies:**

**Cheshire Dreaming: Thanks, glad you like it:D I'm happy to see yet another LockShock shipper! Rock on!**

**SHOWMETHELURV: Well, that's the thing… they **_**didn't **_**know. But they assumed he was. XD Meh. Yeah, I gotta work on filling in those little holes. ****Thanks for the honesty, anyway! ;D**


	12. Memory

Chapter Twelve: Memory

"Hesper!" Shock cried. She was exhausted, and running through underground corridors after a frantic Hesper was not helping. "Do you even know where you're going? Slow down!"

Hesper seemed almost feverish. Her face was set with determination, her fists clenched. "I can't! He's here, Lock said he was here! Webb!"

Lock stopped for a moment to catch his breath, leaning against a wall. Slightly ahead of him, Barrel turned around.

"Lock, if we stop we're going to loose her."

"Look," replied Lock, looking worn out, not to mention frustrated. "Can we just stop and think for a second? Hesper's brother, or whatever he is to her, seems to be one of _them. _What makes you think he won't slaughter us on sight? Plus Oogie's gone, so they're not gonna welcome us with open arms, exactly."

Barrel frowned slightly. He hadn't thought of that.

"Lock, Barrel!" Shock's voice echoed dully through the earthy tunnel. They jumped edgily. The two of them picked up the pace once more, and followed her voice through the maze of passageways to a worn wooden door.

Shock and Hesper stood before it, Hesper's uninjured furred hand firmly on the knob. Weak sobbing and retching noises where being made behind it.

Lock spoke cautiously. "Let's just consider what could be in there for a s—"

But Hesper seemed to not have heard him, for she dragged it open suddenly, her amber eyes brimming with hope.

"Reckless, much?" murmured Lock darkly as he followed the others through.

A bizarre scene greeted them inside. The room appeared to be some sort of dormitory.

Two coffins, a bird-like perch and a bed were lined by the walls, each with its own small chest at the foot.

However, what was in the centre of the room was of more interest.

Paz, Sabin, Septima and a new individual were writhing on the earthen ground in apparent pain. They seemed completely unaware of their surroundings.

Paz was trembling violently, making odd gagging sounds. The twins white faces had taken on a waxy-grey hue and tears streamed down their cheeks from their unseeing red eyes.

Shock stared at the fourth person. He was, at a guess, about seventeen. He had the body of a person, but he was covered in sleek charcoal-grey fur with leathery bat wings protruding from his back. His black hair was matted with sweat and his thick tail thrashed wildly as he shook and gasped for air. Tears sparkled in his large eyes.

His amber eyes.

"_Webb?"_

Suddenly choking back tears, Hesper was at her brother's side. "What's wrong with him?" she wailed, looking imploringly at Shock. "He's not wounded, why is he like this?"

"I-I don't know…" faltered Shock. She stared at the three tremulous forms, trying to think. Paz's large dark eyes were rolling in her head.

_Oh, they can't die! I won't let them! Think of something…_

Though there was nothing physically wrong with the four of them, it was clear that if something was not done soon, they would die.

Shock knew that they had been her enemies, and yet she couldn't just sit back and watch them expire.

She bent down near Sabin, taking his quivering head in her hands. She felt something soft and moist at the back of his neck. Turning his weeping face away from hers, she looked at the back of his neck and gave a cry of disgust.

Hesper, Lock and Barrel looked up from Webb.

"Come here! Get over here!"

Lock and Barrel scurried over at once but Hesper didn't budge from her brother's side on the floor. She was clutching his hand in hers and begging him to wake up.

Shock pointed to the back of Sabin's neck. Lock and Barrel gasped.

There, just below his hairline was one of Oogie's bugs. A bright green leech, pulsating revoltingly.

"Take it off, Barrel. And step on it, make sure you kill it."

Flinching, Barrel plucked the slimy leech from Sabin's neck, dropped it to the ground and crushed it with a squelch.

Sabin stopped shaking. _Oh God, he's dead!_

Suddenly a small, rattling breath escaped his lungs and he looked up at Shock.

"Septima," he murmured. His eyes were clearer than before, as though a mist had lifted. "Septima!"

"I'm on it," replied Lock distractedly. He was already at Septima's side, tugging the Boogie bug from her curtain of inky-black hair.

Shock moved on to Paz as Barrel hurried to help Hesper to revive Webb.

Moments later Webb, Paz, Sabin and Septima were all awake. They looked around the room as if they had just woken from a dream, mystified.

"Boogie's gone. For good. The bugs…" Shock questioned "They controlled you?"

Nobody answered at first. Sabin and Septima were locked in a deep hug, their eyes scrunched up tight. Hesper and Webb were also embracing, weeping when they weren't hugging and laughing when they weren't weeping. Paz spoke after a moment.

"Not exactly… They took our memories away, I think. I know who I am!" she marvelled suddenly with a gleeful laugh. "The last thing I could remember was walking through the Hinterlands near Holiday Grove. And then I was here, with the others. But now I remember…"

Septima detached herself from her twin and continued.

"He likes to gamble. Sorry, he _liked_ to gamble." She clearly enjoyed speaking of it in past tense.

"We know."

"He had… something like a roulette vheel, but instead of numbers, each was marked with a memory to take avay at his leisure. And he used a dice to decide vich of us to take it from. This happened every day until ve could recall nothing at all."

Shock nodded solemnly. It sounded like a very Oogie Boogie-ish thing to do.

"Thank you," said Webb suddenly, looking at Shock, Lock and Barrel in turn. His amber eyes were extraordinarily like his sister's. "Thank you for helping my little sister to find me. Thank you for bringing my memory back." Paz, Sabin and Septima nodded their agreement.

"Why were you in such pain?" Lock asked. "Well, at least you looked like you were."

"The bugs share one life, as it were. Each time one is killed, the others feel its death, they become weaker. The one's that leeched our memory at the roulette wheel's say-so were among the last living, I think. They were dying, and if they hadn't been removed by you, we would have perished with them."

"Let's get out of this place for now," suggested Sabin. "Ve have suffered here far too long, and I vant to rid my nostrils of the stench of cruelty."

* * *

**A/N: Whahey! Only 2 more chapters to go, including the epilogue. It makes me kinda sad, really.**

**Moving on… XD**

**If anybody's confused as to what the hell's going on, more will be revealed in Chapter Thirteen. If you're not confused, then congrats! :D**

**Review replies:**

**SHOW ME THE LURV: Haha, yeah, those pot holes are killers. XD**

**By the way, I've read and love your Friends Forever fic!!**


	13. In the Moonlit Night

Chapter Thirteen: In the Moonlit Night

Lock, Shock, Barrel, Hesper, Webb, Paz, and the twins climbed through the trap-door in single file, to find the bathtub sitting stationary, where they had left it.

It was beautiful, clear night. The full moon and star-splattered sky seemed to look down on them regally.

They breathed in the cool, fresh night air greedily; glad to be rid of the damp, earthy smell from below.

Lock and Shock hastily spread the blankets from the porcelain tub onto the leaf-covered ground, and Hesper and her brother set about lighting a campfire. Being the experts they were, flames were crackling merrily within moments.

The group sat down and broke into conversation. Paz, Sabin and Septima were discussing what to do next, Lock, Shock and Barrel marvelling at their victory, and Hesper and Webb catching up.

"Webb… how on earth did you end up with that monster?"

Webb was silent for a moment, before replying. "When he came, eight years ago, Mother hid you in a hollow tree."

"Yes, I remember."

"Then she told me to run. I wanted to stay with them, to help protect them, but she made me flee. A while later he… he caught up with me, and caught me. He brought me to the lair below, and Paz and the others were already there. Then he took the first part of my memory. I forgot how I had gotten there, and that's how it stayed until now."

"So… you've been down there…for the last eight years? Webb, I've been above you, such a short distance all this time!"

"Yes. That day, he said something about a "Sandy Claws". That we were to be his back-up… And he left. A month later he returned, as seven insects. Four latched onto us. The other three brought back more. Eight years spent waiting for there to be enough bugs for him to take a proper form. Eight years…has it really been that long?"

"It has. I've felt the days pass, Webb. Time goes by slowly when you're alone Did…" Hesper stopped for a second, and then tentatively continued. "Did anyone else get away? Mother, Father, anyone else?"

"No," he replied quietly. "Gone."

The two of them embraced tightly again.

"So what're you to going to do now?" Paz was asking the twins.

"Find our uncles in Halloveen Town, hopefully!" replied Septima cheerfully. Sabin smiled. He hadn't seen his sister so animated in a long time.

"Our mother's four brothers live there," he added "And ve think they could point us in the direction of our parents." He beamed at his sister at the very thought of seeing there parents again. "Ve vere valking in the Hinterlands when he kidnapped us."

"I know where I'm going to go!" said Paz. "I was created by Dr. Frankenstein, Dr. Finklestein's cousin at least Dr. Fink looks after his creations," she continued scornfully. "Frankenstein probably didn't even notice when I escaped. Anyway, I ran away and lived in Christmas Town for a while. I loved it there. And one day I had to come back to visit someone. I was caught in the woods by Boogie then. I'm going to head back to Christmas town!"

The twins smiled at her enthusiasm. They almost couldn't believe it; they were free! The last eight years had passed in a confused blur, but it was better forgotten anyway.

"I can't get over it- we actually did it!" Shock laughed for the umpteenth time, dragging a hand through her mess of green hair.

"Jack's probably got his bones in a right twist," grinned Lock. "We've been gone without a trace for hours!"

That fact was really something they should have been worrying about- they'd be in a heap of trouble when they got back to town. But they were two busy revelling in their triumph to fret over it.

Lock put his arm around Shock, and she felt a happy little tingle run down her spin as she laid her head on his shoulder.

Barrel was just starting to feel awkward when he heard a voice behind his shoulder.

"Barrel? Can I have a word?"

He looked over his shoulder. It was Hesper.

"Um, sure."

Glad of the excuse to leave his friends alone, he got up and followed Hesper.

"Aw, that's sweet: they're having a private moment," said Shock as she watched them go.

"Yeah, it'd be a pity if they came to harm though, out there on their own," Lock responded. Shock looked up at him. He had a mischievous glint in his eyes, made even more impish by the fire's dancing flames.

"You mean spy on them?"

Lock didn't respond, but merely grinned.

"Let's do it!" they laughed in unison, taking of after them.

The other four were deep in conversation, but they noticed the four of them leave.

"Couples!" said Paz with a role of her eyes.

Lock and Shock moved as silently as they could behind Barrel and Hesper, darting from behind tree to tree. The tree canopy above blocked out most of the moonlight, so they constantly tripped over roots and collided with bushes, stifling their giggles.

Finally Hesper and Barrel stopped by a little stream.

Luckily for Lock and Shock, the gurgling of the water covered the rustling of tree branches as they climbed a huge, twisted oak to get a better view.

Now, you'd probably think that because of their recent valiant deeds Lock and Shock may behave more nobly, but tigers don't change their stripes, you know. Hesper wanting to speak to Barrel in private sparked their interest, so there they were.

The two of them crouched awkwardly side-by-side on a thick branch and peered below.

The skeleton-clad boy and the bat-cat-girl seemed to be at a loss for words.

"How's you're wrist doing?" Barrel broke the silence.

"Oh, it's okay. I wanted to thank you," said Hesper softly after a moment.

Barrel cocked his head. "For what?"

"Well… it was clear how much you wanted to get me out of that cage back there. It was sweet of you."

Barrel smiled shyly. "Anyone would have tried to get you out, Hesper. He… he was hurting you," he said, clearly pained by the memory.

"That's just the thing, Barrel. Most people wouldn't have, they'd have saved their own skins. But you three did. You in particular," she added. "So, thank you, Barrel."

She laid her hand on his shoulder and coyly pecked him on the lips.

Even in the darkness, the pink that came to Barrel's cheeks was clearly visible.

Hesitantly taking Hesper's hand in his, he said something Shock couldn't hear. Hesper replied, smiling, more inaudibly still.

Shock shifted on the branch, trying to get a better line of audible range. But this was a bad idea.

"Oh crap," gasped Lock, as the branch beneath them splintered and suddenly snapped. The two of them landed in a tangle of twigs and autumn leaves before a stunned Hesper and Barrel. Barrel's jaw had literally dropped.

"Uh, hey, fancy seeing you here!" said Shock with a weak, guilty grin.

Barrel's face turned from pink to crimson. "You two… are so dead," he growled menacingly.

Within a second Barrel was chasing Lock and Shock (both of which were laughing so hysterically they could barely run) through the woods towards camp, in a mix of anger and embarrassment.

He pulled Hesper along by her uninjured hand. She was grinning in spite of herself to see how strongly Barrel reacted to Lock and Shock beholding their kiss.

"Have you two- have you two _no _idea what the word privacy means?" Barrel was yelling at them.

"C'mon, Shock, you're lagging, he'll catch us!" Lock laughed over his shoulder.

"Sorry, Mr. I-Have-Legs-That-Are-A-Freakin'-Mile-Long!" Shock panted as she struggled to keep up.

"Wait, I have an idea!" Lock suddenly pulled Shock up into a piggy-back, to her surprise, and resumed his sprinting.

Soon enough even Barrel was laughing, despite his humiliation.

Her friends' laughter ringing cheerfully in her ears, Shock clutched tighter to Lock's shoulders.

Yep, things were definitely getting back to the way they were.

And Shock was happier for it.

**A/N: Okay, you guys think Lock and Shock have gone all noble or something? Well, you were wrong. Remember, they ARE Boogie's Boys. (And girls.)**

**Aww! Just the epilogue to go now… sniff sniff, sob sob. **

**Hope you're still enjoying it!**

**Review if you've got the time!**


	14. Epilogue

Epilogue

One year later. Christmas Eve.

Guillotine Square was quite a sight on this day of the year.

Ever since that fateful Christmas Eve exactly nine years ago, it had snowed in Halloween Town this day every year.

The whole of Halloween Town seemed to be outside this evening. Though the sky above was an inky black, the pristine white snow seemed to light the town from the air and ground. Corpse, werewolf and mummy children's giggles seemed to linger in the air as they built fanged snowmen and had snowball fights. Many of the adults hung around to watch the vampire brother's annual ice-hockey match.

The devil, witch and skeleton clad trick-or-treaters sat on the stony edge of the fountain. Its bubbling, cloudy green liquid was frozen solid. Hesper and Webb had ventured out of the Hinterlands for the day, and leaned against it next to them.

"You know," mused Lock thoughtfully as he watched the delicate flakes swirl from the heavens. "I never did get used to this whole snow thing."

"What's to get?" Shock replied, observing as Tearaway the clown grew more and more frustrated as his unicycle wheel became wedged in the snow. "It gets cold and white stuff rains from the sky. Simple."

"Come on, you two philosophers." Barrel teased. "Let's not waste it!"

Without warning he scooped up and threw a handful of snow at Webb, who easily deflected it back at Barrel with a flick of his wing.

"Th-that was s-so not f-f-fair!" said Barrel thickly as he spat the redirected snow from his mouth.

"You asked for it!" Webb laughed in return.

All hell broke loose as the five of them opened fire, handfuls of fluffy snow flying in every direction. A lot of foul play was involved too, with Hesper and Webb using their wings as shields, Lock creating flurries of snow with his tail, and Shock occasionally cramming her snow-filled hat on someone's head from behind.

Eventually they tired, however, and retreated to the tree-house for a while.

Heading into the kitchen, Shock made five mugs of hot-chocolate. She melted some chocolate from this year's Halloween stash and mixed it with warm milk. The drinks turned out a little overly-milky, as she wasn't exactly a hot-chocolate extraordinaire, but they were hot and that was what mattered.

She entered the living-room to find everyone seated on the floor around the warm, blazing fire. They sat in silence for a few minutes, soaking up the baking heat.

"Do you remember the day we first met?" Hesper asked suddenly, taking a sip from her pumpkin-patterned mug. Lock and Shock nodded.

"Yeah, I think I do," Barrel responded with a serious expression. "Weren't you the one who, oh, I don't know, shoved me from a tree?" he continued in a would-be-innocent tone.

"I did _not_ push you!" Hesper argued indignantly, giving him a playful shove. "You fell and you know it!"

Barrel laughed. She was so easy to wind up. Hesper had been training herself out of her nocturnal habits, and was currently very sleepy.

Shock watched the two of them over the rim of her cup.

They were so sweet together. Many a day during the summer months this year, Barrel had gone walking in the Hinterlands with Hesper, simply talking for hours on end. She and Lock had occasionally joined them. In Shock's opinion, Barrel had never been happier, and she was both proud of and delighted of him.

Then her deep violet eyes fell on Lock, who was beside her, chatting to Webb. Oh, how she cared for him!

She couldn't say for certain whether it was love- she was only sixteen, after all- but it sure felt like it. Every time their lips met, every time he gave her his trademark smirk she felt as though spiders were rampaging in her stomach. It mad her feel almost giddy.

Sure, Shock and Lock still fought. It would feel eerie and unnatural if they didn't. But nowadays the mocking comments were accompanied by a good-humoured shove and a fond smile rather than a punch or a sneer.

She reached out dreamily and took his hand.

When she was a little girl, Shock had worried about when the day would come when Lock and Barrel wouldn't be there to make her feel better when she'd had a nightmare.

She smiled to herself, looking from Hesper's head leaning on Barrel's shoulder in a tranquil manner, to Webb's friendly face, and finally to Lock's bright yellow eyes.

And she knew now, in her heart, she would never have to face her nightmares alone.

Hesper and Webb would always be there for her.

Lock and Barrel were her best friends, and always had been. Granted, Lock was something more than that now, but he was still her friend, first and foremost.

Yep, things were going just horribly for Shock. And being in Halloween Town, that could definitely be considered a good thing.

**A/N: And that's a wrap! Aw, I'm a little sad it's over… **

**I have three thank-yous for this story:**

**Danny Elfman and Tim B… because I wouldn't have three trick-or-treaters to write about if they hadn't created them.**

**Lock, Shock and Barrel, who accepted the challenges I threw at them throughout this story without complaint…most of the time. gets hit with a plunger, lollipop and broom**

**And, finally, my reviewers! You guys rock! You guys encouraged, advised, and (though I didn't deserve it) praised this story to a close! So virtual hugs to anyone who's ever reviewed!**

**On that note, now's the time to tell me what you thought of the story as a whole, so one review for the road wouldn't hurt! XD**

**For those who are interested, if I can think of a half-decent storyline, I may write a sequel. So if there's a character or whatever that you want to see more of in that, let me know.**

**So ta ta for now, people! Thanks for reading!**

**Dance in the Moonlight**

**xx xx xx xx xx**


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